When we began our adventures, we always knew that we wanted to visit the famous Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. We also knew that it would be one of the most expensive portions of our travels, in fact as soon as we arrived at the airport we felt like our pockets had holes in them. Don’t let that put you off though, the islands really are worth it and it is possible to save some money by following some of the advice in our guide.

SOME HISTORY

The history of the Galapagos has mostly been that of exploitation of its natural resources by whalers, seal hunters and settlers. Galapagos actually means tortoises in Spanish and sadly these giant land reptiles were used as convenient sources of transportable meat and oil by crews of ships passing by. These crews also introduced non native species to the islands so that they would have a food source upon return voyages, and of course these predators did terrible damage to the endemic species. There has also been a history of failed settlements due to lack of fresh water and the fact that they were started by a series of lunatics and a workforce of hardened criminals!

Of course the Galapagos are firmly on the map for the role they played in inspiring Darwin to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection. His (at the time) controversial book, On the Origin of Species, was eventually published many years after his visit to the islands as a naturalist on board The Beagle. Darwin’s legacy on the islands is still incredibly prevalent with The Darwin Research Centre heading up study and conservation efforts. There is also no shortage of street names and t-shirts featuring Darwin’s beardy mug!

If you want to learn more about the Galapagos, its geology, flora and fauna and the evolution of its species, we recommend watching the acclaimed BBC series with David Attenborough.

Thankfully, the Galapagos Islands became a national park in 1959 and the good news is that less than 1% of it is actually accessible for tourism.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE

Due to the differing ages of the volcanic islands and the confluence of several important trade winds and currents in the area, the Galapagos Islands have ecosystems unique to the world, and unique from each other. The volume and variety of animal and bird species that these ecosystems support make the Galapagos famous for wildlife spotting and excellent evidence of evolution in progress.

The wildlife remains unthreatened by humans and so it is still possible to be in close proximity (within park rules). The abundance of animals both on land and in the ocean, coupled with dramatic volcanic landscapes and pristine beaches make the Galapagos an incomparable destination.

Highlights include giant tortoises, land and marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals, blue footed boobies, frigate birds, Darwin finches, white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, turtles, whales, whale sharks, flightless cormorants and penguins along with a rich underwater scene of smaller colourful fish, coral and crusteaceans.

WHEN TO VISIT

Galapagos tourism is year round, but you can avoid the roughest seas and misty weather by not travelling between June and October. As a rule, Christmas and summer holidays will be the high season.

We travelled at beginning of March and things didn’t seem overcrowded, the weather was hot and sunny and the ocean was fairly calm.

HOW LONG TO STAY

This might depend on your budget, but try to have an idea of how long you want to stay. We didn’t have a problem, but at certain times of the year flights can get booked up. We only bought a one way ticket because we weren’t sure how long we needed to do all we wanted to do. We left thinking we’d be there for two weeks and ended up staying for an extra half a week to make 19 days in total (and didn’t want to leave at the end!).

YOUR BUDGET

Don’t get caught short, the Galapagos are expensive, try to decide on what you are able to spend, and stick to it. Our total spend was £3,850.00 over 19 days, so an average of £200 a day is realistic. Avoiding high season is a smart move too.

The currency of Ecuador and the Galapagos is the US Dollar. We didn’t have trouble withdrawing cash on the islands but you may want to stock up beforehand to avoid struggling with daily withdrawal limits.

GETTING THERE

You have to fly to the Galapagos Islands, from either Quito or Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador. All flights from Quito go via Guayaquil to pick up more passengers. It’s not as far to fly as say Easter Island, so the prices are not too bad. We paid GBP650 each for Guayaquil-Santa Cruz Island, San Cristobal Island – Quito.

We flew to Baltra Island (the airport for Santa Cruz Island) and flew back from San Cristobal Island so that we would not need to retrace our steps. It’s worth noting that Balta airport is quite a faff, you have to take a bus, then a boat across the canal to Santa Cruz Island and then another bus/taxi to get to Puerto Ayora, and none of it is for free!

GETTING AROUND

The way to get between populated islands is via speedboat. They generally leave at 7am and 2pm daily and take about 2 hours. The boats are quite basic and there is not much of a view but they do have a (often locked) toilet and free sick bags! Take your sea sickness pills and keep an eye out for dolphins.

There are many white pickup truck taxis in the towns and most journeys are only a couple of dollars.

Water taxis are available from ports to take you to beaches or other points of interest, and they are even cheaper.

ACCOMMODATION

Hotels and hostals are abundant but prices are higher than on the mainland. We were paying £28-£35 per night for a double room with private bathroom and A/C (you’ll be glad that you got it, it’s hot!). Our tip is to try to book a hostal with access to a communal kitchen – having a fridge and cooking some meals can really help your budget.

DECIDE THE DEAL BREAKERS

If you really love one particular animal and would be devastated if you didn’t see it then do your homework! Animals have their own seasons and preferred habitats, so they are not going to be everywhere. For example, there were no albatrosses when we went, but it was the breeding season for frigate birds. We didn’t have any preferences, and found that the variety we saw was very satisfactory.

OUR EXPERIENCE – HOW TO SEE THE ISLANDS

The Galapagos Islands are numerous and spread out.  Be realistic, you are not going to be able to see everything, so prioritise according to what landscapes or animals you want to see.

We found that a mixture of these 4 approaches worked well: multi day cruise, day tours by boat, land tours and self guided visits to towns/beaches. We explore each below.

1 – CRUISES

It would be a crime to visit the islands without going on a cruise, this is by far the most popular and best way to visit the archipelago. There are basically 3 main routes to choose from and all can be combined; northern islands, circuit of Isabela Island (the largest island) and the southern islands. One route will be 5 days 4 nights but it could also possible to join mid route for a lower price.

Finding the right cruise will probably be the most confusing and frustrating part of your trip to the Galapagos. Many people book their cruises in advance from abroad or in Quito or Guayaquil but we do not recommend it as this will mean that you pay a huge amount of money. We suggest starting your trip in Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz Island and the most populous town in the archipelago. From here it is easy to shop around the agencies for a last-minute cruise at a much lower price, remember to practice your haggling skills beforehand, you will need them! That said, the cruises still seemed expensive to us! It is also worth enquiring with other travellers and your hostal owner to get an idea of what people enjoyed and the quality/reputation of the boats and crew. Crews can make or break a cruise experience.

Which boat to choose?! This might depend on your budget, but there are various classes of boat available. Luxury and first class boats are mostly out of the question due to price, so you are probably looking at tourist superior or tourist class boats. We suggest getting a smaller boat like our Floreana with a maximum of 16 passengers as the experience is more personalised and you don’t have to deal with a huge group of people when doing activities. The 16 passenger limit is imposed by the National Park for smaller boats, and there is one multi-lingual guide.

Always ask to see a picture of the boat so you know what you are getting. We were a little surprised by the size of our bunk beds cabin, but we quickly got over it! A catamaran will be more stable on rough seas, so this might be an option if you get seasick. Most of the travel is at night, but the seas can be quite rough, so pack your sea sickness pills if you are in any doubt. They do work, but they’ll make you quite drowsy, we only took them at night.

The Floreana is a tourist superior class. Whilst fairly intimate with a full set of passengers, we were comfortable enough and found that the food was of good quality and there was always fresh water. Soft drinks and alcohol were extra and snorkelling equipment was available, although the agency where you book the tour may provide it for you in advance. Be prepared for pre-sunrise starts and most likely ending up in bed by 9pm! We were also fortunate to find a great crew on board and a knowledgeable and helpful guide named Graziella.

WHAT WE DID 

Upon the advice of a local, we took the circuit of Isabela Island. We paid USD1,150 each and this seemed comparable to what others on the same cruise had paid. Included in the package there was our own snorkelling equipment consisting of mask, flippers and wet-suit. We do recommend getting your own equipment (available to rent literally in every agency in Puerto Ayora) as the boat will provide you with mask and flippers but not with wet-suits, and these are important as waters can be fairly cold and you can at least dodge getting sunburnt on part of your body.

DAY 1

After an early embarkation from Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island, we were immediately out on the zodiac boat for a visit to the Tintoreras Islets. Here, in the soft light of the sunrise, we observed marine iguanas, nursing sea lions, white-tipped reef sharks and turtles. There was then the first of many snorkelling sessions, but the visibility only allowed us a glimpse of a couple of turtles. Resting on the boat for a while, we were delighted by penguins zooming around in the water, studpidly we didn’t take any photos of them thinking that they would be everywhere, what a mistake!

The afternoon activity was on Isabela Island where we visited the Arnaldo Tupiza Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. The giant tortoises are really something else and we were very lucky to see a couple having some romantic time – good news for a breeding centre!

Our last activity was a walk through the wetlands where we could see a variety of birds and pink flamingos.

DAY 2

After a considerable distance covered overnight, and some wobbly seas, we were off the boat early for an exploration of Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island. We wandered across beautiful black lava flows and saw hundreds of marine iguanas. Other highlights were the bright red crabs, playful baby sealions, flightless cormorants and a whale skeleton.

We cooled off with a snorkelling nearby, this time the waters were much clearer and we were able to enjoy the underwater scene much more than the previous day.

In the afternoon we disembarked for a hot trek up Tagus Cove on Isabela Island to view a volcano crater filled with turquoise brackish water and a vast lava field. There was also another snorkelling in the cove.

DAY 3

Following another overnight sailing, we reached Egas Port on Santiago Island, where we walked along a black volcanic beach in search of fur seals. We were lucky and managed to see several lounging around on the rocks. There was snorkelling from the beach this time and we got treated to the sight of 4 or 5 white-tipped reef sharks skulking around at the bottom.

After a short sailing, we reached Rabida Island with its striking red beach. Here we took a wander to see some basking seals and blue footed boobies and snorkelled around from the beach. Here we saw an impressive shoal of silvery fish behaving like one entity, in much the same way that flocks of birds do.

DAY 4

We were up early as the boat circled the tiny Daphne Island at sunrise. Here we saw some sharks at the surface, blue footed boobies, Galapagos gulls and frigate birds, amongst other bird life.

Disembarkation at the canal of Balta Island was by 8am.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF A CRUISE?

Being on a cruise allows you to see parts of the archipelago that are not designated or possible to visit otherwise. The days are long and packed, but you manage to save time and see more than you would independently as everything is organised. You also have the opportunity to enjoy the landscapes and spot birds/sea creatures whilst sailing.

The boats can be quite small so you are at close quarters if there is a full set of passengers. If travelling alone you will have to share a cabin, and they can be rather pokey. Seasickness is a real issue, be prepared and get yourself some tablets!

One of our (and other traveller’s) major complaints about cruises is that they are mis-sold. In reality a 5 days, 4 nights cruise will only be 3 full days as the first day you board in the evening and the last day you are chucked off by 8am. We really felt like we had a couple more days in us, if we did it again we would book twice the cruise time.

You should be careful that the cruise schedule doesn’t include things that you could do independently. For example part of the trip might be a land tour on one of the populated islands. You can do this much more cheaply on your own!

2 – DAY TOURS BY BOAT

If you didn’t catch a particular place on your cruise, then look into what day tours are possible from your base. Tours could involve combinations of disembarkation on an island, swimming, snorkelling, beach time and diving. We are not divers so this post doesn’t cover this activity, but the snorkelling is amazing 90% of the time!

Examples:

• From Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island we chose to take a tour to North Seymour Island to see the nesting frigate birds and blue footed boobies. It cost us USD150 each and we had a nice first class boat with a lunch and snorkelling afterwards.

• We also had a day tour from Puerto Baquerizo on San Cristobal Island to Leon Dormido (also known as Kicker Rock) which included snorkelling around the rock where we saw tuna and swimming sealions but none of the famous hammerhead sharks, and snorkelling from the beautiful Manglecita beach only accessible from the water.

3 – LAND TOURS

The Galapagos is not all about the coast and what can be seen in the ocean. Land tours from the main settlements on the islands offer markedly different landscapes, ecosystems, animals and climates. You can take an organised tour or rent a taxi driver for half a day – this can sometimes work out cheaper.

Examples:

• From Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island we rented a taxi for half a day (USD45) and were taken to see Los Gemelos (twin collapsed volcano craters), a farm with many giant tortoises roaming freely and for a walk through a huge subterranean lava tunnel.

4 – SELF GUIDED VISITS: TOWNS AND BEACHES

Happily, there are certain activities on the Galapagos that you don’t need to pay for. It’s easy to spend your off days wandering around the towns or lazing on a beach. Here are some tips.

Examples:

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

• A short walk to the Darwin Centre – visit the centre and see giant tortoises and land iguanas. Unfortunately the iconic Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island tortoises died in 2012, just days after Attenborough filmed his series. There is also a nice shell beach on the way called Playa Estacion.

• Take a water taxi from the pier (5 minutes) – ask for Las Grietas or Playa Los Alemanes. A hot 20 minute walk will take you to Las Grietas, a lava fissure of brackish water. Fun for a little swim/snorkel. Playa Los Alemanes is a nice secluded beach with clear and calm water.

• Walk 40 minutes through palo santo and cactus forest to Tortuga Bay, a long stretch of white sand beach. It’s not safe to swim but there is an area right at the end where swimming is possible. Go before 5pm as that is when the beach shuts.

• Highlights in Puerto Ayora include the local fish market on the broad walk, in front of Pelicano Bay. Go at about 5pm to watch the fishing boats coming in with their catch and the fish being gutted and filleted. Pelicans and sea lions love to hang out here for an easy meal and frigate birds will be swooping down trying to steal the food from the others, often even from the pelicans’ mouths!

• A great place to eat in Puerto Ayora is a street full of kiosks and outdoor seating on Charles Binford. Go here to see what the locals eat or pick your own super fresh fish for dinner. We enjoyed a kiosk called William for its Caribbean coconut sauces.

Puerto Baquerizo, San Cristobal Island

• The Darwin Interpretation Centre is a short walk and worth a visit if you are interested in the islands’ history and in conservation issues. Find the path behind the centre to climb the hill or visit a couple of nice secluded beaches.

• Playa Mann is opposite the Darwin Interpretation Centre and you should be able to swim with sea lions here.

• Sea lions are absolutely everywhere in Puerto Baquerizo, taking up the benches and walkways. Take a walk in the evening to hear their cacophony, but give the bulls a wide berth as they are a bit grumpy and may bark at you!

Puerto Villamil, Isabela Island

• The beach at the town is popular and pleasant.

• Walk or take a taxi to the tortoise breeding centre and return through lakes with pink flamingos. (We saw this during our cruise).

PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT

Despite 97.5% of the archipelago’s land area having been declared a national park, the problems of protection and management that the Galapagos Islands face are numerous. Recent programmes to eradicate introduced species, their parasites and non native plants have found success but recurring issues like illegal fishing and the trade in shark fins must be managed. Current volcanic activity and the effect of El Niño can threaten populations of certain animals like the marine iguana who relies on a certain type of algae as food. Of course the greatest challenge is usually mankind and it is probably unsustainable population growth and increased tourism that pose the greatest challenges for the future. The International Galápagos Tour Operators Association is a membership designed to regulate the tourism industry and the Charles Darwin Research Station & Galápagos National Park Service do important research and conservation work and provide properly trained guides. Your contribution to this is the 100USD park entry fee, abiding by the park rules and being subject to the tight immigration controls, the privilege for which is an immigration card for the price of 20USD! You will also have your bag checked for organic items when arriving and moving islands.

From what we saw, the Galapagos is controlled and cared for by those who work in her environment with dedication and passion. Sadly some tourists did not respect the rules and we saw people being too preoccupied with getting a selfie with an animal to realise that they were intruding upon its space and frightening it. If everyone does this then the unique experience of getting up close to the animals will be spoilt as they become scared and upset. We also believe that there should be tighter control of GOPRO cameras. Although there is already a restriction on the length of the stick, we believe that the stick should be banned completely and it allows tourists to repeatedly enter the animal’s space. We also saw people smoking on the islands without rebuke. So, it’s in our hands. If you are lucky enough to be able to visit this most enchanting of places, then respect it.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, when we embarked on this trip, the Galapagos Islands were one of the few places that we were certain we wanted to visit. Their unique geological history and ecosystems offer an invaluable firsthand account of evolution and adaptation at work and a strong reminder of the wonder that is life on this planet, the fight for survival that many species of animals have to endure and how magnificently they can thrive against all odds. Visiting the islands also highlights the responsibility that we have to aid ecosystems to survive and thrive, do our best to reverse the obvious damage we have done in the past and stop the more subtle and often hidden damage to nature that we are doing now. It’s no use respecting the Galapagos whilst on holiday just because you have to and it is so obviously pristine, you then have to go home, become more informed and do your bit.

Visiting these beautifully protected islands was a humbling and extraordinary experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity to be inspired to change our ways for the better and cherish and respect the wonder that is all life on this planet. This has been definitely one of the highlights of our travels so far.